Imagine, when every website requiring sign-up information allows you to quickly scan the Label to see if you want -- You will be better informed, better protected, and make better decisions about your personal information that you share online.

How will companies benefit? They will get more meaningful relationships with their customers, by being transparent with their Terms of Service, and getting users to participate in an informed way.

Here’s a functional mock up of one that might work for Facebook (Facebook was not consulted):

Note: the final design will look MUCH better!

Armed with this information,
we will be able to make better decisions about the information we
share and organizations will get richer, more meaningful relationships with
their customers, patrons, and citizens.

We believe most organizations want healthy relationships with the people they depend on. Let's make that easier.

With your help, we will take this technical outline and make
it ready for use by websites everywhere. The funds raised by this project will
be used to design a user-friendly, beautiful, easy-to-read version the label and produce a short compelling video to
introduce the label to the world. We’ll promote the label through the
Information Sharing Work Group, the Personal Data Ecosystem
Consortium, the Internet Identity Workshop, and other appropriate venues.

Simple. Easy. Effective.

Helping everyone make better decisions about the information
we share online.

Help us make it happen.

P.S. I Shared What?!?

In the rewards you might have noticed stickers and t-shirts from I Shared What?!? What's that? I Shared What?!?is another project by Joe Andrieu, in collaboration with Yeryeong Park--the same designer we'll be working with to design The Standard Label. It's an information sharing simulator that shows you just what you share with third party websites when you log in with Facebook. We thought that would make a nice addition to the mix of rewards. =)

FAQ

Good design takes work, especially for a Label that needs to fit with any website, in any browser, in a way that communicates clearly to people of all ages and levels of sophistication. For example, the Label above doesn't yet have the icons that will communicate the key default terms that most people care about. Plus, we will produce a video to introduce the Label to individuals, website owners, and developers. Add rewards and processing fees and it adds up quick. Here's a breakdown of our budget:

$5,000 for design of the label, the icon indicating an instance of sharing has a Label to review, and multiple icons for the most important standard terms.

$5,000 for the production of an introductory video, to catalyze adoption of the Label by websites around the world.

There are a few websites that will use it as soon as we have it ready. We have also reached out to Google and Microsoft and others to get their input and hopefully eventually their buy-in. We anticipate an ongoing public relations effort to promote the Label once it is ready for use. Hence the investment in the video.

The Label is the first step in a three step effort to give individuals more clarity and control over the information we share online.

First, The Label gives websites a clear, consistent way to tell us how they use our data at the point we share it.

Second, a Trust Framework will provide a semi-automated way to create Terms Of Use on the fly to cover information we share with websites. This contractual approach provides a legal framework working on behalf of individuals that fits with current information sharing practices.

Third, once we have the Trust Framework in place, people will be able to set Default Terms for which no additional permission in necessary. For example, if a website is (1) willing to use the data only during this visit, (2) tell us proactively when they delete it, and (3) won't redistribute it, many people might be willing to automatically authorize access. Most importantly, we think that many websites will accept those, or similar, terms if it means they can personalize the experience without a pop-up permissioning ceremony. The result is the web's first legitimate approach for user-specified terms of use and a simpler, less cluttered web experience.

If we raise more than $12,500, we'll put the additional funds into the legal agreements behind the Trust Framework, so we can begin the collabortive process of defining the Standard Information Sharing Agreement.

In its simplest form, no. The Label can be used on any website, any time users share information. However, it was created to be a part of an integrated Trust Framework that would add capabilities if you do have a browser extension.

Iain Henderson and Joe Andrieu are entrepreneurs who have been interested in and working on information sharing issues for over 3 years. Iain's background is in enterprise software like CRM systems and Joe is an Internet developer. The Label is the next step in our work as Co-chairs of the InformationSharing Work Group., a volunteer effort with the Kantara Initiative.

Yeryeong Park is an award winning designer with nearly two decades of professional experience. Jon Smith and Ethan Turpin are extraordinary video artists and producers with lots of great work to their credit. I've worked with all three on various projects over the years and asked them to help with the Label, if we could get enough funding to make it worthwhile. I'm stoked to have them on board and they've all agreed to work at discounted rates to make this possible.

A Trust Framework is a scalable mechanism for open, trusted relationships. Using documented criteria and legal agreements, Trust Frameworks allow any service provider to participate as long as they meet the criteria and sign the agreements. The Information Sharing Trust Framework enables anyone to create on-demand contracts covering the use of information before we share it online, using any compatible service provider. It's an ambitious goal, one which was selected as a Finalist for the current NSTIC Pilot Grant Program and with luck will move into development later in 2012.

Rewards

You selected

$5 reward

26 backers

Thanks : A thank you on our website, listing your name as a backer of the Standard Information Sharing Label.

Estimated delivery:Aug 2012

You selected

$25 reward

27 backers

Sticker + Thanks : An awesome sticker, suitable for use on your laptop, bumber, or forehead, plus a thank you (name + link) on our website. Choose either a Standard Label sticker or an I Shared What?!? sticker. Both help spread the word.

Estimated delivery:Aug 2012

You selected

$50 reward

9 backers

2 Stickers + Extra Thanks : 2 Stickers + Extra Thanks: TWO awesome stickers, one each of I Shared What?!? and the Standard Label, plus a thank you on our website with the name, link, and a photo or logo of your choice.

Estimated delivery:Aug 2012

You selected

$50 reward

15 backers

Print + 2 Stickers + Thanks : A frameable version of the canonical first Standard Information Sharing Label, covering the information you shared with us as a backer (see below for details), plus the stickers and thanks from Reward #3.